Participates In Roundtable Discussion With Chairman Of The House Aviation Subcommittee

Inspector training and user fees were among the many topics discussed Tuesday at a roundtable discussion held Tuesday by Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), newly appointed chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in Washington, D.C. Many of the aviation industry's major trade associations were invited to participate in the discussion, including AEA, which was represented by president Paula Derks and Ric Peri, VP of government and industry affairs.

Derks expressed the challenges the association faces in providing training and education to the Federal Aviation Administration workforce to assist them in  oversight and the appropriate approval of new avionics technologies. The AEA chose this venue to focus on technology and the challenges shared by industry and the FAA to keep the avionics technicians current in a dynamically changing environment.

The AEA continues to provide low-cost training to its members and offers these training opportunities to the national aviation authorities, as well. The AEA does not want government bureaucracy to be an impediment to learning and called on Chairman LoBiondo to assure that appropriate fiscal management doesn't discourage regulatory agencies' ability to participate in these valuable training opportunities.

"Aviation safety relies on a well-educated workforce as well as an agency tasked  with the oversight of the industry," explained Derks. "It's only through the attendance at the meetings and conferences that the inspector workforce can stay abreast of  the latest technologies.

"The fact that Rep. LoBiondo invited industry to discuss issues affecting our respective memberships is refreshing. The AEA looks forward to working with Rep. LoBiondo and other members of Congress to further address these aviation safety issues."

FMI: www.aea.net